Method and apparatus for producing personalized chip cards

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a method and apparatus for producing personalized chip cards containing an at least partly flat surface for visible application of data and an integrated circuit with memory. The problem of the invention is to state a method and apparatus for avoiding the abovementioned disadvantages, i.e. further reducing the reject rate in personalizing chip cards. This problem is solved by personalizing the integrated circuits and the card bodies separately from each other and subsequently incorporating the personalized circuit in the personalized card body.

This application is a Division of nonprovisional application Ser. No.09/466,221 filed Dec. 17, 1999.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for producingpersonalized chip cards containing an at least partly flat surface forvisible application of data and an integrated circuit with memory.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

International application WO 87/05420 describes a method forpersonalizing chip modules (i.e. inscribing and encoding them with dataindividual to the card) which are intended for incorporation in a cardbody. The method proposed therein first involves providing a coiled bandwith chip modules to be personalized. Said coiled band is subsequentlysupplied by clock to a contacting head which contacts and personalizesone chip module at a time. The personalized chip module is incorporatedin an uninscribed card body either before or after personalization.

With this form of personalization it is no problem bringing chip andcard body together since each chip fits into each card body. Especiallyin the variant in which an already personalized chip is incorporated inthe card body, incorrectly personalized chips can be previouslyeliminated so that an error in personalizing the chip does not lead to arejected card. The disadvantage of the shown method, however, is that ifthere is an error in later personalization of the card body, i.e. ininscribing the card with the later card user's personal data, the chipis also lost.

European patent application EP-A 0 266 926 discloses a method wherein anunpersonalized card body with an unpersonalized magnetic stripe and anunpersonalized chip is fed to an encoder for inscription of the magneticstripe, IC personalization is subsequently performed, this is checkedand in the next step the card body is inscribed, i.e. personalized. Thisagain involves the disadvantage that an error in inscribing the cardbody renders the complete card including the chip useless.

A reduction of such rejects is obtained by the procedure according toEuropean patent specification EP-B 0 311 417 where, although the chip isfirst personalized, a reader is provided for reading out the data fromthe chip for the further processing steps, namely personalizing the cardbody and magnetic stripe, the data being used for embossing and magneticstripe encoding. This at least prevents a false allocation from beingmade during inscription of the card body so that it is hardly possiblefor the data stored in the chip and the data shown on the chip cardsurface not to match. A disadvantage still remains, however, in thatinscription of the card body is done with the correct data but can beperformed unsuccessfully for other reasons, e.g. due to soiling of thecard surface or the like.

The problem of the invention is therefore to state a method andapparatus which avoid the abovementioned disadvantages, i.e. furtherreduce the reject rate in personalizing chip cards.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This problem is solved by the present invention. Advantageousdevelopments of the invention are stated in the dependent claims.

The present invention provides for personalizing the integrated circuitsand the card bodies separately from each other and subsequentlyincorporating the personalized circuit in the personalized card body.

This method has the advantage of minimizing rejects over the knownmethod since it limits both errors in personalizing the chip and errorsin personalizing the card body to the chip or card body. Thus the totalcard is not useless if only either the card body or the chip is notpersonalized properly. A further advantage results from the exact-pieceincorporation of the chips or modules in the card body now possible,which contributes to a further cost reduction in production.

For simpler handling, the integrated circuits are embedded in modulesand supplied to a contact station on a carrier band. Preferably, thecontact station is a multi-contact station which permits testing and/orinitializing and personalizing of several modules simultaneously. Thispermits the sensitive integrated circuits to be already surrounded by amodule material in this production step, i.e. during contacting, so thatthe integrated circuit itself is already protected. Initializing isomitted if preinitialized chips or modules are already used on thecarrier band.

Advantageously, a further test is performed after personalization of theintegrated circuits to permit improperly initialized or personalizedcircuits to be eliminated before further processing. Alternatively, theintegrated circuit itself can provide an error message to the outside toindicate improper personalization.

After personalizing, the module carrier band is preferably transportedfurther to a punching apparatus in which the modules are punched out ofthe carrier band, whereupon they are delivered to an implantingapparatus for insertion into the card body. Advantageously, the chip canbe read out again before punching so that in case of a precedingdisturbance the personalized chip can be clearly identified.

According to an advantageous development of the invention the cardblanks are placed in an encoded pallet simultaneously withpersonalization of the modules, the code being linked with the order ofsuccessfully personalized circuits so that the card bodies arepersonalized in the order in which personalized circuits or modules arepresent.

With chip cards also containing a magnetic stripe, the magnetic stripecan also be inscribed with personal data before or after personalizationof the card body. The magnetic stripe encoding is reread and checkedimmediately after personalizing. Improperly encoded card bodies areeliminated and not provided with a chip or module. Reencoding can bedone immediately with the next card body so that the order still matchesthe personalized chips. If reencoding does not directly follow, thepersonalized card bodies are put in the order of the personalizedcircuits with the aid of a sort buffer.

In order to eliminate improperly personalized circuits or card bodiesone performs a check of correct allocation after insertion of thepersonalized circuit into the personalized card body.

Preferably, the completely personalized chip cards are then deposited ina sort buffer and subsequently stacked in a magazine. They are depositedin the sort buffer in an order given by the data records, which isdetermined by the client for example.

Independent claim 1 states an apparatus for producing personalized datacarriers by the abovementioned method, and has a multicontact station inwhich the integrated circuits are subjected to an incoming test, i.e.their functionality is tested. Subsequently the chips or modules areinitialized, unless preinitialized chips were used, and personalized. Atthe time the integrated circuits are disposed on a carrier band whichsupplies them to the multicontact station or transports them to apunching apparatus after personalization and optionally a check ofcorrect personalization.

Parallel thereto is a magazine input apparatus which disposesunpersonalized card bodies on the encoded pallet. The apparatus furthercontains means for identifying the pallet code and allocating said codesto a personalizing data record with which the card body is finallypersonalized. In an apparatus for implanting the personalized integratedcircuits the latter are incorporated in the personalized card body.

Advantageously, there is further a testing apparatus which performs acheck for agreement of the data after the integrated circuits or modulesare implanted in the card body. Instead of or in addition to said checkfor data agreement, the circuit can be tested for its operability atthis point in order to detect damage of the ICs from implantation.

Finally, a sort buffer is provided in which the finished cards aredeposited in a given order and stacked in a magazine. This permits thecards to be deposited in the magazine in a desired order for laterprocessing.

In the following the invention will be explained more closely withoutrestricting its universality with reference to the embodiments accordingto FIGS. 1 and 2, in which:

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a flow chart of the inventive method, and

FIG. 2 shows an apparatus for carrying out said method.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 shows a flow chart indicating the inventive production order forproducing personalized chip cards.

In first method step 20 the integrated circuits or modules comprisingthe integrated circuits are subjected to an incoming test in amulticontact station. Subsequently, the approved chips are optionallyinitialized and personalized. During personalization, data recordsindividual to the card are allocated to the individual chips in a givenorder. Personalization after the test and initialization ensures a verylow error rate in personalization caused by chip defects or contactproblems.

In next step 22 the integrated circuits or modules are punched out ofthe carrier band on which they are disposed for transport. Beforepunching, a matching criterion can advantageously be read out of thechip in order to restore synchronism in the personalization of the chipmodules and card bodies in the case of a disturbance.

Parallel thereto, uninscribed card bodies with a gap for the module orintegrated circuits are deposited in an encoded pallet in step 21. Acode of the pallet is allocated to each module personalized in step 20.

Said code is evaluated in next step 23 during card body personalizationso that the data record allocated to the code of the pallet can be usedfor personalizing the card body. In case the chip card containsadditional magnetic stripes, magnetic stripe encoding is preferably doneafter chip personalization in the order of successfully personalizedchips. Magnetic stripe encoding is preferably done before opticalencoding.

In next step 24 the successfully personalized modules are implanted inthe successfully personalized card bodies in the correct order.

Step 25 thereupon provides for a check for example with the aid of theread pallet code for ascertaining whether the personalized modules wereallocated to the personalized card bodies properly or the chip wasdamaged during implanting.

Finally, in step 26 the cards are deposited in a magazine in the, or a,given order.

FIG. 2 shows an apparatus for advantageously applying the inventivemethod. Carrier band 1 rolled up in a coil on which integrated circuits2 are disposed preferably in two rows is used for transporting thecircuits or modules. Station 3 checks whether the carrier band isequipped with the modules correctly. Further, this station performs badhole detection, i.e. checks whether the chips or modules were alreadyidentified as faulty in a preceding test, in order to permit acorrection to be made in later personalization.

In multicontact station 4 the modules are first subjected to afunctional test. In this station a given number of modules can besimultaneously contacted and thus processed. The approved circuits areoptionally then initialized, whereupon the successfully initializedmodules are provided with the data records individual to the card, i.e.personalized.

Then personalized modules 2 are supplied to optionally disposed readoutstation 5 which checks faultlessness again before the modules arepunched out in punching device 6 and passed on to implanting apparatus10.

Parallel to personalization of the modules, virginal card bodies 8 aremade available in magazine input apparatus 7. They are applied to pallet9 which is provided with an encoding. Each encoded pallet is allocatedto a successfully personalized module so that personalization of thecard bodies can be performed in personalizing apparatus 12 in the orderof successfully personalized modules.

For personalization, the virginal card bodies are transported frommagazine 7 on encoded pallet 9 to personalizing apparatus 12. On the waythere, a testing apparatus can optionally be disposed for checking thecard bodies for errors e.g. by optical means. In personalizing apparatus12 the card bodies, singly or combined into group 10, are personalizedwith the allocated data record in accordance with the pallet encoding.

Subsequently, the pallets with the personalized card bodies are guidedonto carrier band 11 and supplied to implanting apparatus 13. There, thepersonalized modules are inserted into the personalized card bodies. Fora final check of correct complete personalization, completed chip cards14 are supplied to checking apparatus 15 in which the data stored in thechip are read out and compared with the personalizing data applied tothe card body and/or the pallet code. For checking the data one can usefor example an image capturing unit with text recognition or bar codereading for detecting the data applied to the card surface.

Faulty cards are eliminated by unit 16 and repersonalization isinitialized for the data record in question.

Finally, the tested cards are supplied to sort buffer 17 which depositsthe completed chip cards in a magazine in an order given by the datarecords.

In case the finished chip card is also to contain a magnetic stripe, anapparatus for personalizing the magnetic stripe can also be disposed inpersonalizing apparatus 12.

I claim:
 1. An apparatus for producing personalized data carriers comprising: a carrier band arranged to supply integrated circuits or modules carrying integrated circuits; a multicontact station arranged to test, initialize and personalize the integrated circuits; a punching device arranged to punch out the personalized integrated circuits or modules from said carrier band; a magazine input device configured to receive and pass unpersonalized card bodies onto encoded pallets; an identification device configured to identify pallet codes and allocate the pallet codes to personalized data records of the card bodies; and an implantation device arranged to implant the punched integrated circuits or modules in personalized card bodies.
 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a testing device configured to determine whether the personalizing data record of the card body matches the personalizing data stored in the integrated circuit after the integrated circuit or module is implanted into the card body.
 3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said testing device includes a contact unit configured to read the personalizing data from the integrated circuit, a reading unit arranged to read the pallet code, and a comparing device configured to determine the correlation of the integrated circuit personalizing data and the pallet code.
 4. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said testing device includes a contact unit configured to read the personalizing data from the integrated circuit, and an image capturing and processing unit configured to determine the personalizing data record of the card body applied to the card body.
 5. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a sort buffer configured to deposit personalized data carriers into a magazine in a predetermined order. 